Communism explored in performance of two plays

Posted February 26, 2009; 04:57 p.m.

by Staff

A performance that explores communism at its most ironic -- through the visions of Czech playwright Vaclav Havel and Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky -- will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 6-7, in the Hamilton-Murray Theater.

Titled "Under the Bed and Behind the Curtain: Playing with Communism," the performance will be directed by Princeton junior Nadia Talel. It will feature students from the University and local elementary schools and high schools, as well as actors from the greater Princeton area.

They will present Havel's "The Unveiling," a tale of an absurd social ceremony in which the main character is invited to dinner by friends eager to show off their Westernized lifestyle; and Mayakovsky's "The Bedbug," a satirical play that deals with the Soviet philistinism and bureaucracy.

Talel is majoring in Slavic languages and literatures and pursuing certificates in theater and dance and Near Eastern studies.